Bending machine



- Jul 24,- 1923.

J. ,s. WHEELER BENDING MACHINE 1919 3 Sheats-Sheat- "priginal Filed Feb.5

1911 5. .Wl/[ELER Patented July 241, i923.

UNHT earns JOHN S. WHEELER, OF DUNSMUIR, CALIJFURNIEA.

BENDING MACHINE.

Application filed. February 5, 1919, Serial No. 275,164. Renewed August10, 1921. Serial I60. 661L286.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN S. WHEELER,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Dunsmuir, in the county ofSiskiyou and State of California, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Bending Machines, of'which the following is aspecification'. This invention relates to machines for bending pipes,bars and the'like, and the main object is to improvethe construction andarrangement of parts whereby to obtain greater efliciency in machines ofthe type disclosed in Letters Patent No. 1,206,742 and No. 1,206,743,granted to me November 28, 1916, and No. 1,263,301, granted April it,1918.

One embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of theimproved machine;

Fig. 2 is a plan view;

Fig. 3'is a longitudinal section;

Fig. 4 is an elevation looking at the side opposite that shown in Fig.1;

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section of the pressure mechanism,

Fig. 6 is a plan view partly in section of a slightly different form ofthe pressu e mechanism;

Fig. 7 is adetail cross section on the line 7-7 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail section showing the engaging portion of theform block and presser block.

Numerals l and 2 indicate end sill supports for girders 3, upon whichare rigidly secured the bases 4 and 5. In the bases are secured uprightstationary standards 6 and 7, which support the table or bench 8consisting of an oblong frame provided at its ends with hubs or collars9 fitting around the standards. Set screws 10 mounted in said hubs orcollars bear upon the standards to secure the bench in 1place. The benchis provided with a plura ity of longitudinal slots 11 in one I of whichthe stationary work holder is to be mounted. It will be understood, ofcourse, that any number of these longitudinal slots may be provided sothat the work holder may be secured at the position most advantageousfor the work in hand without changing the method of operating themachine.

Upon the standard or post 6 is rotatably ,mounted a gear wheel 12meshing with a and a form block 19 is keyed upon said re-' ducedportion. A bar 20, held by a lock washer 21 and cap screw 22, isdisposed above the form block as shown in Fig. 3. From the collar 9extend lateral arms 23 upon which are fastened two circular stationarytracks 24: and 25 concentric with the standard 6. A clamp or work holder26 for securing the tubing 27, or other material to be bent is slidablein one of the slots 11 in the bench and overlaps the slot so as to reston the bench at the sides of the slot. For securing the work holder inplace, a stud or bolt depends therefrom through the slot 11 and nut 28thereon is turned home against a washer 29 bridging said slot below andbearing against the bench.

The bar 20 is disposed over the bar 16 and is connected thereto so as tomove therewith by clamping bolts 30 and plates 31, a spacer 32 beingdisposed between the bars. The bars 16 and 20 constitute a frame pivotedon the portion 18 of the standard 6 for the operation of a presser block33 having grooves in its respective sides to accommodate tubes or rodsof various diameters. Any convenient or preferred means may be utilizedto cause the frame to turn about the post 6 under the influence of thewheel 12. In Figs. 5 and 6, is shown a portion of a coupling bar 34which is attached to bar 16 and may be engaged with the gear by anydetachable connection. In Figs. 1 to 4: inclusive, the presser block 33is shown in the operating position, the end of the work being clamped bythe work holder and the portion to be bent passingj between the formblock 19 and the presser lock. The presser block is held to the work bya slidable holdas will be readily understood. In Fig. 5,

the full lines indicate the inoperative position while the dotted linesindicate the operative position, and it may be here noted that the seatof the saddle has a portion 39 at a right angle to the edge of the bar16 and an outwardly and rearwardly inclined portion 40 so that, if theresistance of the .work is high, the presser block may rock and therebyavoid crowding of the material, permitting adjustment of the strainedsection and preventing fracture. The lever connections will accommodatea slight resistance but under the heavy stresses of overcrowding theblock 38 may slip and thereby avoid breakage of the working parts. studor dowel pin 41 (see Fig. 5) may be provided on the lip 42 of the saddleto engage a socket in the end of the presser block and thereby centerthe said block but the lip may be smooth and plane, as shown at 43 inFig. 6.

In Fig. 6, the lever connections are omitted and the saddle 44 issecured in place by bolts inserted through clamping plates 45.

This arrangement permits the saddle and preser block to be readilyadjusted to the work in hand, and it is to be understood that formblocks of any desired contour may be employed, the block 19, forinstance, being adapted to form a complete coil and the block 46 beingadapted to form a quarter turn. 7

The saddle may also have a lateral horn 47 terminatinginastop lug 48which will prevent release of the presser block when it rocks on thesurface 40. 'It is to be understood that the shaft portion 18 mayreceive a form block of any shape and size. the grooves therein beingvaried as desired and the same variation may he carried out in thepresser blocks. It is to he noted that the grooves on the presser andform blocks fit the work tightly so that the bending operation isperformed with full eflicicney. As shown in Fig. 8, the lip portions 49of the groove 50 of the form block are slightly deeper from the radiuscenter line 51 than the lips 52 of the groove 53 in the presser block sothat the form block holds the material after forming as the presserblockyields. v

Upon the standard 7, a work table or pan 54 is provided. as shown,secured by a washer 55 and cap screw 56. In operation: The material toformed, for example the tubing 27, is clamped in the work holder 26 andextends within the grooved portion of the stationary form block 19. Thepresser block provided with a similar groove to suit the work in hand,is interposed between the tubing and the saddle, whereupon'the shiftlever 37 is operated to the dotted position as shown in Fig. 5 to securethe presser block against the tubing. The frame consisting of the bars16 and 20, with the associated parts, is then swung about the post 6 asa center, exerting pressure upon the work through the block 33 to bondthe work against the form block 19. \Vhen the bending operation iscompleted, the working parts are returned to their initial positions andthe work holder and the presser block released to permit removal of the.work. The operation may then be repeated indefinitely.

An adjustable spacer or filler 54', clamped in the slot 11 by a nut 55'and a washer 56' upona stud 57 secured in the filler. may be employed tobridge the gap of the track 25 which appears in Fig. 2. \Vhen specialwork requires the placing of the work holder in the slot containing thefiller. the filler is readily removed.

The modified form of saddle shown in Fig. 6 is adapted for work forwhich the'toggle operating mechanism shown in Fig. 5 is not applicable.the arrangement allowing for shorter looping forms. It is to beunderstood that the'machine may be built in many sizes to facilitate thevarious size pipes, tubings, structural shapes, or other material to beformed and that modificationsmay-be made therein to simplify and improvethe operation without departing from the spirit of the invention as thesame is defined in the following claims.

Having thus described the invention, what i I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patentof the United States is:

-1. A bending machine comprising stationary posts, a frame supported byand extending between said posts, a stationary circular track secured toone end of said frame concentric. with the post supporting said end ofthe frame, a. work holder adjustable longitudinally in the frame anddisposed eecentrica-lly to the adjacent supporting post and the track,form block secured on said post and arranged above the frame. a carrierconsisting of similar members pivoted to said post respectively aboveand below the form block, a holder mounted between and. held by thecarriermembers and adjustable longitudinally thereof toward and from theform block, and a presser block seated against said holder andcooperating with the form block.

2. A bending machine comprising a frame. a work holder arranged thereon,a form block secured on the frame, a pivoted carrier arranged concentricwith the form block, a saddle in said carrier having its working faceopposed to the form block and a portion of-said face inclined awayfromoeme 5 the form block, and a, resser block seated and. a portion of saidface inclined mm m inthe snddle and adapted to rock on the from the formblock, retaining lips on sni face thereof. face at the ends of the same,and e, resser 3. A bending machine comprising a block carried by thesaddle and adapted to 5 frame; n work holder arranged thereon,' a rockon the. inclined fece thereof. between form block secured in the'frnme,n pivoted the lips thereon. 1o cdrrie arranged concentric with the formIn testimony whereof I nfin my signnture. block a saddle insaid carrierhaving its working, face opposed to the form block JOHNS. WHEELER, [Inn]

